Michele R. Brumley, Ph.D.
Professor, Experimental Psychology - Associate VP of Research
Office: Administration Building 121E
B.A (1999) DePaul University; Ph.D. (2005)
University of Iowa; Postdoctoral Fellow
(2005-2007) The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Research Interests
My research program examines the development of coordinated behavior across ontogeny. This work involves experimental investigation of the role of neurobiological mechanisms, sensory feedback, and experience in the modulation of motor behavior. Currently, my lab is examining 1.) how locomotor behavior in the rat is controlled by the spinal cord and is shaped by sensorimotor experience, 2.) the relationship between the development of weight-bearing locomotion and the development of the musculoskeletal system in rats, and 3.) the relationship between the development of locomotor behavior, reflexes, and epigenetic activity in the spinal cord in rats. My lab team is a group of wonderful graduate and undergraduate students, who are committed to working as a collaborative team. My research has been funded by the NIH, the NIH INBRE Program of the National Center for Research Resources, the NSF, and internal grants from ISU. My students and I collaborate with researchers in biological engineering, physiology, and molecular biology. In my administrative work, I work to facilitate research activities across the university.
Dr. Brumley will not be accepting students for fall 2024 admission.
Dr. Michele Brumley's Research on ResearchGate
Selected Publications (can be retrieved from ResearchGate or by contacting Dr. Brumley)
Swann-Thomsen, H.E., Mendez-Gallardo, V., Kollmeyer, L., Hunter, K., & Brumley, M.R. (2021). A preliminary investigation of high retinoic acid exposure during fetal development on behavioral competency and litter characteristics in newborn rats. Brain and Behavior, 11, e2253, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2253
Theodossiou, S. K., Pancheri, N. M., Martes, A. C., Bozeman, A. L., Brumley, M. R., Raveling, A. R., Courtright, J. M., & Schiele, N. R. (2021). Neonatal spinal cord transection decreases hindlimb weight-bearing and affects formation of Achilles and tail tendons. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 143, 06102, 1-9.
Swann-Thomsen, H.E., Viall, D.D., & Brumley, M.R. (2021). Intrathecal administration of the 5-HT2 receptor agonist quipazine elicits air-stepping behavior. Behavioral Pharmacology, 32, 259-264.
Williams, C., Sater, S., Burkhalter, C., Schoonen, S., Miller, J., Shrestha, D. Brumley, M.R., & Schiele, N.R. (2020). Low-cost, open-source, variable speed and incline treadmill for studying impacts of neonatal locomotion. HardwareX, 7, 1-18.
Mayo, J.N., Kauer, S.D., Brumley, M.R., & Bearden, S.E. (2020). Pericytes promote vascular density and improve locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury in male and female neonatal rats. Microcirculation, 27, e12646, 1-12.
Doherty, T.S., Bozeman, A.L., Roth, T.L., & Brumley, M.R. (2019). DNA methylation and behavioral changes induced by neonatal spinal transection. Infant Behavior and Development, 57, 1-9.
Swann, H.E. & Brumley, M.R. (2019). Locomotion and posture development in immature male and female rats (Rattus norvegicus): Comparison of sensory-enriched versus sensory-deprived environments. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 133, 2, 183-196.
Brumley, M.R., Strain, M.M., Devine, N, & Bozeman, A.L. (2018). The Spinal Cord, Not to Be Forgotten: the Final Common Path for Development, Training, and Recovery of Motor Function. Perspectives in Behavior Science, 41, 369-393.